System for marking printed data on x-ray film

Abstract

An X-ray film marking unit for exposing a portion of the film with a label having indicia relating to patient identifying and X-ray machine identifying information. A computer or microprocessor system is fully integrated as part of a smart marking system which may retrieve data from various sources via digital interface ports. Three modes of operation, full-automatic, semi-automatic and stand-alone, are utilized for data retrieval.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for optically marking a latent image of printed data on X-ray film for chest or mammography contained in a closed cassette comprising: means for receiving the X-ray film cassette holding X-ray film therein;   means for opening an optical path from outside the cassette to provide access to the X-ray film to allow a latent image to be formed thereon and for closing the optical path thereafter;   means for establishing an optical path from outside the X-ray film cassette to said X-ray film;   means for generating a plurality of data fields by allowing an operator to scroll through stored data field selections, select a data selection and cause a data selection signal to be transmitted; and   optical character generator means coupled to said data scrolling means receiving said data selection signal for generating an image of said selected data field on said X-ray film to form a latent image thereof on said X-ray film.   
     
     
       2. A system for optically marking a latent image of printed data on X-ray film for chest or mammography contained in a closed cassette comprising: means for receiving an X-ray film cassette holding X-ray film therein;   means for opening an optical path from outside the X-ray film cassette to said X-ray film and for closing the optical path after optically marking a latent image on the X-ray film;   means for generating a plurality of data fields by allowing an operator to scroll through data selections to be supplied to said data fields, select a data selection and cause a data selection signal to be transmitted;   an LCD optical character generator means coupled to said data scrolling means to receive said data selection signal and for generating an image of said selected data on said X-ray film to form a latent image thereof on said X-ray film;   means for storing a plurality of patient identification information; and   means for scrolling through said patient identification information that has previously been prescheduled in order to match a patient with his or her patient identification information at the time an X-ray is being taken.   
     
     
       3. A system for marking printed data on X-ray film comprising: means for receiving an X-ray film cassette;   means for generating a data field;   means for periodically checking said data field generating means for errors;   means coupled to said data means for generating an optical character pattern for exposing said X-ray film to form a latent image of said data thereon; said means for periodically checking said data field generating means for errors periodically includes means for testing the keyboard, a display and input/output devices for soft errors and for resetting said devices on the detection of said soft errors.   
     
     
       4. A system for marking printed data on X-ray film for chest or mammography contained in a closed cassette comprising: means for receiving an X-ray film cassette;   means for opening an optical path from outside the cassette to provide access to the X-ray film to allow a latent image to be formed thereon and for closing the optical path thereafter;   means for generating data reflective of an X-ray machine state and a patient state;   means for receiving X-ray machine customization data;   means for receiving clinical customization data;   an LCD means;   means for generating a plurality of optical characters on the LCD means in response to said data fields; and   forming said optical characters on said X-ray film from the characters generated by the LCD means.   
     
     
       5. A system for marking printed data on X-ray film for chest or mammography contained in a closed cassette comprising: means for receiving an X-ray film cassette;   means for opening an optical path from outside the cassette to provide access to the X-ray film to allow a latent image to be formed thereon and for closing the optical path thereafter;   means for generating data reflective of a machine state and a patient state;   means for receiving X-ray machine customization data;   means for receiving clinical customization data;   an LCD means;   means for generating a plurality of optical characters in response to said data fields and for operating the LCD means for forming said optical characters on said X-ray film; and   means for generating characters reflective of the patient's name in a visually enhanced form with respect to other characters.